Envelope



April 28, w RODIGER 292817296 ENVELOPE Filed Oct. 24, 1938 Patented Apr. 28, 1942 N NE s'r FFICE ENVELOPE Werner Rodiger, Berlin, Germany 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a releasable fastening means for envelopes for the postal transmission of printed matter, circulars or other communications which the Post Office regulations require to be sent unsealed.

In this connection it has already been proposed to provide the sealin flap of an envelope with a partially severed tab furnished with adhesive on the inner face. by means of which the sealing flap can be secured to the envelope. For the purpose of opening the envelope the tab is torn away from the flap, and once the envelope has been opened the flap cannot again be secured.

In the case, however, of printed matter, circulars and the like it should be possible to secure and release the flap as and when desired without damage to the envelope. The invention accordingly resides in the provision of a fastening piece of elongated, angular or irregular form having at the centre a gummed portion, by means of which, after separation from the sealing flap, it can be gummed to the back of the envelope Within the resulting opening at an angle of 45 to 90.

In this connection it has also been proposed heretofore to provide star-shaped fastening pieces over circular openings in the sealing flap and to secure the same by means of a gummed portion at the centre. In this case, however, the star-shaped fastening piece is secured by means of a separate fastening piece gumme-d over the same. so that it is only possible to open the envelope by destroying the star-shaped portion. A repeated opening and closing of the envelope is impossible.

In comparison therewith the fastening means according to the invention can be opened and closed at any time after the fastening piece has been displaced by 45 to 90 and has been secured by means of the gummed portion, without damage to the fastening piece or to the opening in the sealing flap. To this end, the closing flap of the envelope according to the invention is provided in its central portion with a substantially non-circular fastening member which is substantially completely separated from the flap by cuts provided all around the'locking member and is cohering with the flap through a few tiny connecting pieces only which permit ready tearing for complete separation of the locking member from the flap along predetermined contours; the fastening member is gummed on the inner side of the flap, the gummed area being confined, however, to a circle which is substantially smaller than the largest circle which can be inscribed in the contours of the substantially non-circular fastening member.

Different embodiments of the fastening means according to the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 shows a portion of an envelope with the sealin flap opened, whilst Fig. 2 is a similar View with the flap closed.

Figs. 3 to 5 illustrate different forms of the fastening means.

The envelope! possesses the usual sealing flap 2. In accordance with Figs. 1 and 2 there is partially cut out of the flap 2 a triangular portion 3, which still remains connected to the flap 2 by means of the narrow connecting piece 4. The part 3 possesses at the centre a small gummed area 5.

If the envelope is to be closed, the part 3 is finally separated from the flap 2, whereupon the latter is folded down against the envelope and the part 3, having been rotated to a certain extent in relation to the opening in the flap, is secured by means of the gummed portion 5 to the envelope l over the said opening 6, in such a manner that the corners l of the fastening piece :3 overlap the sides of the triangular opening. In this Way the flap is secured in the closed position, in such a manner, however, that it can readily be released by lifting the corners 1. Vice versa, it can again be closed by introducing the sides of the triangular opening below the corners i.

In place of the triangular fastening piece 3 there can also be provided an oval fastening piece 8, as in Fig. 3, which fastening piece, after having been separated from the flap 2, can be secured to the envelope by the gummed portion 5 at an angle of approximately in relation to the correspondingly shaped opening formed upon its separation from the flap.

In Fig. 4 the fastening piece 9 is of square form, being secured at approximately 90 in relation to the opening in the flap.

In Fig. 5 the fastening piece is in the form of a seal, having an irregular edge.

The portion 5 can be furnished with the usual kind of gum or also with dry gum. If desired, the fastening piece may be made to bear the name and address of the person or firm by whom the communication is sent.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms of the fastening piece illustrated in the drawing, and that various other forms can also be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An envelope of the class described, comprising a body, a closing fiap and a substantially non-circular fastening member provided within the central portion of said flap, said fastening member being substantially completely separated from the fiap by cuts provided all around the fastening member, cohering with the flap through a few tiny connectin pieces only adapted for ready tearing and complete separation of the fastening member from the flap along predetermined contours, and being gummed on th inner side of the flap, the gummed area being confined to a circle which is substantially smaller than the largest circle that can be inscribed in the contours of the substantially non-circular fastening member.

2. An envelope of the class described, comprising a body, a closing flap and a substantially non-circular fastening member provided within the central portion of said flap, said fastening member being substantially completely separated from the flap by cuts provided all around the fastening member, cone-ring with the fiap through a few tiny connecting pieces only adapted for ready tearing and complete separation of the fastening member from the flap along predetermined contours, and being gummed on the inner side of the fiap, the gummed area being confined to a circle which is substantially smaller than the largest circle that can be inscribed in the contours of the substantially non-circular fastening member, whereby the locking flap can be fixedly secured by its gummed area to the body of the envelope only in a position to partly overlap the aperture formed in said flap upon removal of the locking member from the flap, in

a concentric but angularly displaced arrangement with respect to said aperture, and the locked envelope can be reopened and closed again many times, by bending the overlapping portions of said fastening member and passing the aperture of said flap over the bent overlapping portions.

3. An envelope of the class described, comprising a body, a closing flap and a substantially oblong fastening member provided within the cen'- tral portion of said flap, said fastening member being substantially completely separated from the flap by cuts provided all around the fastening member, cohering with the flap through a few tiny connecting pieces only adapted for ready tearing and complete separation of the fastening member from the flap along predetermined contours, and being gummed on the inner side of the flap, the gummed area being confined to a circle which is substantially smaller than the largest circle that can be inscribed in the contours of the substantially oblong fastening member, whereby the locking flap can be fixedly secured by its gummed area to the body of the envelope only in a position to partly overlap the aperture formed in said flap upon removal of the locking member from the flap, in a concentric but angularly displaced arrangement with respect to said aperture, and the locked envelope can be reopened and closed again many times, by bending the overlapping portions of said fastening member and passing the aperture of said flap over the bent overlapping portions,

4. An envelope of the class described, comprising a body, a closing flap and a substantially polygonal fastening member provided within the central portion of said flap, said fastening member being substantially completely separated from the fiap by cuts provided all around the fastening member, cohering with the fiap through a few tiny connecting pieces only adapted for ready tearing and complete separation of the fastening member from the flap along predetermined contours, and being gummed on the inner side of the flap, the gummed area being confined to a circle which is substantially smaller than the largest circle that can be inscribed in the contours of the substantially polygonal fastening member, whereby the locking fiap can be fixedly secured by its gummed area to the body of the envelope only in a position to partly overlap the aperture formed in said flap upon removal of the locking member from the flap, in a concentric but angularly displaced arrangement with respect to said aperture, and the locked envelope can be reopened and closed again many times, by bending the overlapping portions of said fastening member and passing the aperture of said flap over the bent overlapping portions.

5. An envelope of the class described, comprising a body, a closing flap and an irregular, substantially non-circular fastening member provided within the central portion of said fiap, said fastening member being substantially completely separated from the flap by cuts provided all around the fastening member, cohering with the flap through a few tiny connecting pieces only adapted for ready tearing and complete separation of the fastening member from the flap along predetermined contours, and being gummed on the inner side of the flap, the gummed area being confined to a circle which is substantially smaller than the largest circle that can be inscribed in the contours of the substantially noncircular fastening member, whereby the locking flap can be fixedly secured by its gummed area to the body of the envelope only in a position to partly overlap the aperture formed in said flap upon removal of the locking member from the flap, in a concentric but angularly displaced arrangement with respect to said aperture, and the locked envelope can be reopened and closed again many times, by bending the overlapping portions of said fastening member and passing the aperture of said flap over the bent overlapping portions.

6. An envelope of the class described, comprising a body, a closing fiap, a substantially noncircular fastening member severed out of the central portion of the closing flap and fixedly secured to the body of the envelope only in a position partly overlapping the aperture formed in said flap due to removal of the fastening member, by means of a gummed area which is substantially smaller than the largest circle which can be inscribed in the contours of the non-circular fastening member, whereby the locked envelope can be re-opened and closed again many times, by bending the overlapping portions of said fastening member and passing the aperture of said flap over the bent overlapping portions.

WERNER RODIGER. 

